LARAMIE, Wyo. — A sugar company executive from Worland, an oil and gas company executive from Pinedale and a Natrona County cattle rancher have recently been named to the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees.
Mike Greear, Paul Ulrich and Tom Walters were appointed by Gov. Mark Gordon and approved by the Wyoming Senate. They succeed Elizabeth Greenwood, of Pinedale; Macey Moore, of Douglas; and Dave True, of Casper.
Reappointed to the board were Secretary Brad Bonner, of Cody, and Brad LaCroix, of Newcastle. Their terms, and those of Greear and Walters, extend through 2031. The appointment of Ulrich — tapped to fill the unexpired term of Greenwood, who resigned recently — is through 2027.
“We’re grateful for the service of Trustees True, Moore and Greenwood, and we look forward to working with our new and continuing board members and the great team at UW to advance Wyoming’s land-grant university,” Board of Trustees Chairman Kermit Brown said.
Greear served as the legal counsel of Worland-based Wyoming Sugar Co. for 13 years before becoming its CEO in March 2016. Since September 2018, he has also served on the board and executive committee of the United Sugar Producers and Refiners, a national sugar marketing group. Greear represented House District 27 in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 2011 to 2022, serving on many committees and chairing the House Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee for six years. He’s a current member of the Washakie Development Association board.
Greear earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance, as well as a law degree, both from UW. He lives in Worland but spends his weekends in Campbell County, where he, his wife, Tiffany — a UW alumna and fourth-generation Wyoming rancher — and son, Seth, have a cow/calf operation. The couple also has a daughter, Taylor, and three grandsons.
“It is an honor to be asked to serve on the Board of Trustees and to have the opportunity to give back to an institution that was so instrumental in my success. I look forward to working with such a talented group of leaders to guide our university,” Greear said. “Education can have a significant impact on a person’s life, and we must dedicate ourselves to ensuring that every person in Wyoming is afforded the opportunity, just as the founders of our state envisioned. I hope that my experiences growing up in Wyoming and operating a manufacturing facility will add value to the Board of Trustees’ mission.”
Ulrich is a 25-year veteran of the oil and gas exploration and production industry, currently serving as vice president for Jonah Energy LLC, which operates the Jonah Field in Wyoming, one of the largest natural gas fields in North America. He recently served as chairman of the Wyoming Energy Authority, is a member of the board of the Wyoming Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and is a past chairman of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming. Ulrich is also a professional fly-fishing guide.
Before his career in the oil and gas industry, Ulrich served in the U.S. Navy in the intelligence community and on the staff of a Wyoming governor and Wyoming congressman. He attended Western Wyoming Community College and Casper College, majoring in history. He and his wife, Darby, live in Pinedale and spend considerable time in Kemmerer with the family fossil business. They have three children: sons Julian and Colin and daughter Tayler.
“I am more than honored to serve our great state and the University of Wyoming as a trustee,” Ulrich said. “I look forward to listening and learning how our university can best meet, and exceed, the needs of our students and Wyoming.”
Walters has run a cow/calf cattle operation in western Natrona County for two decades. He represented House District 38 in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 2013 to 2024, serving on many committees, including the House Appropriations Committee. His public service also includes 10 years on the Natrona County Fair Board, two years as chairman; and 10 years on the Natrona County Conservation District Board, nine years as chairman.
Walters is married to his wife Kade and holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science and agricultural business from UW.
“The University of Wyoming is a special place to my family and me, as my parents, my two sisters and I all graduated from UW. The education we received from UW has served us well through the years,” Walters said. “I am excited for the opportunity to continue the university’s tradition of providing a top-tier education at an affordable price, and research that is valued and used worldwide.”
Appointed by the governor with consent of the Wyoming Senate, the UW Board of Trustees consists of 12 members appointed to six-year, staggered terms. As the institution’s governing body, the trustees have a broad range of responsibilities, including major policy and budgetary matters affecting the university.
